Liverpool reach unwanted first not seen since 1986 after England squad call

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England have named their 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, and Liverpool have been left with an unwanted reminder of how far standards have slipped at Anfield.Thomas Tuchel’s squad contains no current Liverpool first-team player, with the tournament now highlighting a gap that would once have felt almost unthinkable.It is the first time since the 1986 World Cup that England have headed to a major tournament without a current Liverpool player. That is not the reason Liverpool declined in the Premier League this season, but it is a sharp symbol of it.Liverpool’s England absence says plenty about their Premier League drop-offPhoto by Visionhaus/Getty ImagesLiverpool have carried a regular England presence for most of the modern Premier League era.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez were both part of England’s Euro 2024 squad, and Liverpool’s England presence has been a recurring theme across major tournaments.This time, the line has stopped. It means none of their current English options did enough, across this campaign, to make omission feel impossible.Arne Slot’s side left too many questions for England to ignoreThe England squad should not be treated as the definitive judgement on Liverpool’s season.

Both have been close enough to the England conversation before, but Liverpool’s inconsistency gave them little platform to become unavoidable.Slot’s Liverpool too often looked caught between control and chaos. It confirmed one that had been visible all season.Liverpool’s task now is not to chase England caps for the sake of it.